There is no such thing as perfect basketball in the playoffs, but the Celtics have delivered consistently solid play.
Boston has posted an NBA-best 7-2 record, with six wins by at least 13 points, outscoring opponents by an average of 11.0 points per game, and ranking in the top three in offense and defense.
The Celtics haven’t always been perfect; again, nobody is in the postseason, but they have continuously found ways to win. And in the playoffs, there are no style points.
Some discussions around Boston’s playoff success have centered around the caliber of their opponents — or lack thereof. In round one, they faced a depleted Miami Heat team, missing Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier. Now, they’re taking on a Cleveland Cavaliers team without Jarrett Allen and dealing with Donovan Mitchell’s absence in Game 4 and possibly beyond.
Sure, some of this is bad injury luck for opposing teams, but the Celtics are dealing with a pretty significant injury themselves in Kristaps Porzingis. The Celtics earned an “easier” path to the NBA Finals with their dominant regular season – posting an NBA-best 64-18 record, with 42 of their wins (67.7%) coming by double-digits.
Boston took care of business nightly, winning the Eastern Conference by 14 games, the most significant disparity since the 1975-76 season, and they have been rewarded for that this postseason.
As the wavering Cavaliers head back to enemy territory for Game 5 at TD Garden, Boston has the series for the taking, and it would go a long way if they could close it out.
A win on Wednesday night would guarantee Boston at least three days off before the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. If the Knicks and Pacers series goes the distance, Boston would have five (!) days off before the Conference Finals start.
Meanwhile, the winner of the Knicks/Pacers series would only have one day of rest between the start of the Conference Finals, regardless of whether their series finishes in six or seven games.
The significance of extra rest during the postseason cannot be emphasized enough, especially for a Celtics team that is trying to buy some time for Kristaps Porzingis and manage Al Horford’s minutes.
Boston has had a history of let-downs.
Take last year’s first-round Game 5 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, for instance. Despite having a 13-point lead at home in the fourth quarter, the Celtics stumbled with a sloppy finish and ultimately lost the game. This forced them to head back to Atlanta for an extra game to close out the series. Similarly, they dropped Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with Joel Embiid sidelined due to a knee injury.
However, apart from Game 2 against Cleveland, where Boston was simply outplayed, they’ve largely avoided similar pitfalls this postseason. It would greatly benefit them if they could continue this trend in Game 5 and wrap up this series in five.
Time for Tillman?
With Porzingis sidelined, the Celtics have leaned heavily on Al Horford.
“We put a lot on Al,” Jrue Holiday said after Game 3. “Protecting the paint, anchoring us on the defensive end, and then, knowing that he’s gonna get some shots because they kind of leave him open, especially with Mobley kind of dropping into the paint.
"But Al is Al; he’s one of the most reliable players I’ve ever played with, and you know that he’s always gonna come through for you. So, we put a lot on Al, but he’s built for it.”
The 38-year-old big played 39 minutes in Game 3 and drew the assignment of defending Donovan Mitchell frequently throughout the night. Before Game 4, Joe Mazzulla was asked about the wear and tear being put on Horford, to which he briefly responded, “Al is good.”
Mazzulla and the Celtics scaled back Horford’s workload a bit in Game 4, with the big man playing 28 minutes. This was made possible by Luke Kornet’s solid production off the bench.
At times, Horford has looked exhausted. It doesn’t help that he is being hunted on the defensive end, has shot 4-of-16 (25.0%) over the last two games, and has misfired on his last 10 three-point attempts -- which takes away from his effectiveness as a floor spacer.
Horford will play a vital role in the Celtics’ pursuit of Banner 18, but managing his minutes is also crucial.
This is why the Celtics went out and acquired Xavier Tillman at the trade deadline. Tillman had played 340 career postseason minutes before arriving in Boston and had previously done an excellent job defensively against All-Star bigs such as Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns in playoff matchups.
Horford isn’t going to be abandoned. He will and should still see playing time. However, the Celtics have a capable playoff-caliber big on their bench who could help relieve his workload. It’s an option worth considering.
Sam Cassell named a finalist for the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job
During the offseason, the Celtics underwent a complete overhaul of their coaching staff, overseen by Mazzulla. This resulted in one of the NBA’s best staffs, highlighted by two of the top assistant coaches in the league: Sam Cassell and Charles Lee.
Lee, previously a key figure on Mike Budenholzer’s coaching staff since 2018 and a championship winner with the Bucks in 2021, recently accepted the head coaching role with the Charlotte Hornets. Now, all eyes are on Cassell, who could be next in line for a significant career move within the Celtics organization.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Cassell is among the top candidates for the head coaching position with the Los Angeles Lakers. Joining him on the list of contenders are JJ Redick and James Borrego.
Cassell, who spent 15 years in the big leagues, winning a championship three times, including in 2008 with the Boston Celtics, began his assistant coaching career in 2009 under Flip Saunders with the Washington Wizards. After five seasons in Washington, he reunited with Doc Rivers, his former coach in Boston. He spent six seasons with Rivers in Los Angeles before following him to the Clippers.
Cassell has played a pivotal role in the development of several players, including Bradley Beal, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Tyrese Maxey. In Boston, he has worked closely with Jayson Tatum as his position coach, helping refine his post-up game.
Tatum praised Cassell earlier this season, highlighting his wealth of experience and knowledge as a former player, as well as his engaging personality.
“It’s been great,” Tatum said on Cassell earlier this season. “He’s a very animated guy. A lot of personality, but he is very funny. A lot of great stories, and he knows a lot. He played 14–15 years in this league. Well-respected. And it’s great to have somebody that has been a player, had a lot of success, won championships. Learning a lot, and we love having him around.”
While Cassell has expressed his desire to become a head coach in the past, JJ Redick, LeBron James’ friend and podcast co-host, could emerge as a leading candidate for the position, especially if the Lakers are as desperate as they seem to retain LeBron James.
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